Educational spinning toy



April 24, 1956 A. J. GIESE EI'AL EDUCATIONAL SPINNING TOY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 26, 1954 INVENTORS flip/louse d-fiiese BY Lawr nce afiustin W ATrYs EDUCATIONAL SPINNING TOY Filed April 26, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR-5 Fly/Muse J. Gz'es BY Lam-algae flflzgsfirg wwzw Unitfid StatCS atefif 1C Patented Apr. 24, 1956 EDUCATIONAL SPINNING TOY Alphonse J. Giese, Fort Thomas, Ky., and Lawrence B. rhusting, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignors to Vulcan Corporaltion, Portsmouth, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application April 26, 1954, Serial No. 425,446 7 Claims. c1. 46-62) The present invention relates to a separable, multipart aerial top construction that is rotated in opposite directions by the tension in a twisted cord, the particular top construction being useful as an educational toy for teaching children the visual chromatic eflects that are obtainable by combining variously colored separable top parts that are interchangeable with a colored, driven top part for rotatory movement therewith.

. An object of the invention is to provide an extremely simplified aerial top construction of the character described which has separable parts that may be readily assembled and disassembled by very young children.

Another object of the invention is to provide an aerial top construction that has a pair of identically shaped discs each provided with a slot extending radially inwardly from its periphery, the slotted portions of the discs being first insertable into each other and then moved radially to closely straddle the body of the opposed disc to form a separable connection that operatively secures the discs together at their central parts at right angles to each other. The invention also embraces the feature of one disc having a pair of parallel cord receiving holes formed therethrough which are equispaced on opposite sides of the axis of top rotation, the holes having their entrant ends disposed in the disc at points removed outwardly from the separable connection in order that the cord will not interfere with the operation of the separable connection.

With the above and other objects in view our invention resides in the novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts presently to be described and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. l is a fragmental, side elevational view of our aerial top.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the top shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the aerial top parts of Fig. 1 in separated condition, the cord extensions being broken away.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a fragmental, side elevation of a modified form of our aerial top.

Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the parts of the top shown in Fig. 5 in separated condition, the cord extensions being broken away.

Referring now in more detail and by reference characters to Figs. 1-4 of the drawing the numerals 5 and 6 designate identically shaped discs preferably made of wood and each having its exterior surface painteda contrasting or complementary color. The disc 5, referred to hereinafter as the driven member, is provided with a radial slot 7 whose entrant end 8 opens out into the periphery of said disc. The slot is shorter than the radius of the disc such that its inner end 9 lies outside the axis of the said disc. The disc 6, referred to hereinafter as the separable member, has a radial slot 10 formed therein, said slot having its entrant end 11 opening out into the periphery of the disc 6, the slot being longer than the radius of the disc whereby the inner end 12 of the slot 10 lies beyond the axis of the said disc. The discs 5 and 6 can be readily assembled by bringing the entrant ends 8 and 11 of the slots 7 and 10, respectively, into juxtaposition, with the discs 5 and 6 at right angles to each other and then moving the discs radially together such that the slot 7 closely straddles that portion of the body of the disc 6 diametrically beyond the slot 10 and the slot 10 closely straddles that portion of the body of the disc 5 that 'lies diametrically beyond the slot 7.

The driven member or disc 5 is alternately rotated in opposite directions by the tension in a twisted cord 13, said cord preferably being in the form of an endless, elongated loop with two reaches 14 and 15 operatively connected with the driven member. The drive connection between the cord 13 and the disc 5 consists of a pair of parallel holes 16 and 17 formed through the central portion of the disc body, said holes lying on opposite sides of, and equispaced from the axis of rotation of the top construction. In this form of our invention the holes 16 and 17 extend diagonally through the lateral center of the driven disc 5 and are so positioned that they pass through the major faces of the disc 5 at points removed laterally from areas contacted by the separable member or disc 6 to the end that the cord 13 may be permanently looped through the holes 16 and 17 and their presence will not interfere with either removal from or mounting of the separable disc 6 on the driven disc 5.

Now with reference to Figs. 5-7 of the drawings which depict a modified form of our invention the driven member or disc 50 has a pair of parallel cord receiving holes 18 and 19 formed therethrough on opposite sides of, and equispaced from, the axis of rotation of the disc which in this form of the invention is located longitudinally of the driven disc. The entrant ends of the holes 18 and 19 are thus located in the peripheral wall of the driven disc such that the reaches 14 and 15 of the cord loop 13 are located laterally beyond the separable connection between the said driven disc 50 and the separable member or disc 60. As is the case with respect to the form of our aerial top shown in Figs. 1-4 the separable connection between the discs of the top shown in Figs. 5-7 comprises a radial slot 20 formed in the disc 50 and a radial slot 21 formed in the disc 60, said slots being cooperable to separably position the discs at right angles to each other for rotation about the axis of rotation of the top. It will be noted with particular reference to Fig. 7 that the driving connection between the cord reaches and the driven disc 50 is spaced laterally beyond the separable connection for the discs so that the cord connection will not in any way interfere with the removal or assembly of the separable disc 60 with the driven disc 50.

Our aerial top is particularly useful as an educational toy in that a number of slotted, separable members may be provided in different colors, and may then be individually mounted on the colored driven disc and rotated therewith to give a child different chromatic visual effects.

It should therefore be apparent that we have provided an aerial top having a readily separable, multipart body which can be rotated in opposite directions by the tension in a twisted cord, the top body comprising two discs separably secured together by radial, complementary mating slots and the cord having a driving connection with the center portion of one of the discs in a manner such that the connection will not interfere with the operation of said separable connection between the discs.

What is claimed is:

1. An aerial top comprising a driven disc member and a separable disc member each having a mating, radial slot formed therethrough cooperable with each other to permit the slot in each disc to closely straddle that solid portion of the other disc diametrically opposed to the slot therein and form a frictional connection securing the discs together on a common axis of rotation and at right angles to each other, a pair of parallel cord receiving holes formed through the driven disc parallel to, and equispaced on opposite sides of the axis of rotation, said holes having their entrant ends formed in the driven disc at points removed outwardly from the separable connection, and a cord loop having its opposed reaches each extending through one of the pair of holes in the driven disc.

2. An aerial top set forth in claim 1 characterized by the fact that the axis of rotation of the top extends through the longitudinal center of the driven disc and the cord receiving holes have their entrant ends located in the peripheral wall of said driven disc.

3. An aerial top comprising a driven disc member and a separable disc member each having a mating, radial slot formed therethrough cooperable with each other to permit the slot in each disc to closely straddle that solid portion of the other disc diametrically opposed to the slot therein and frictionally secure the discs together on a common axis of rotation and at right angles to each other, a pair of parallel cord receiving holes formed laterally through the driven disc on opposite sides of, and equispaced from the axis of rotation of the top, said holes being inclined with respect to the axial center of the driven disc such that the entrant ends of the holes open out into the major faces of the driven disc at points beyond the imaginary extension lines of the slot in said disc, and a cord loop having its opposed reaches each extending through one of the pair of holes in the driven disc.

4. An aerial top set forth in claim 3 characterized by the fact that the radial slot in the driven disc member extends from its periphery inwardly to a point short of the center portion thereof, that the radial slot in the separable disc member extends from its periphery inwardly beyond the center portion thereof, and that the cord receiving holes pass through the center portion of the driven disc.

5. An aerial top set forth in claim 4 further characterized by the fact that the cord receiving openings are inclined at an angle of more than 45 with respect to the axial center of the driven disc.

6. An aerial top comprising a driven disc having a radial slot formed therethrough and extending from the periphery of the said disc inwardly to the center of the disc, a pair of parallel cord receiving holes formed longitudinally through the disc on opposite sides of, and equispaced from, the radial slot in the disc, the said holes having their entrant ends lying in the peripheral wall of the disc, a separable disc having a radial slot formed therethrough extending from the periphery of said disc to the center thereof, the said discs being operably fixed together in juxtaposition at right angles to each other for rotation on the longitudinal axis of the driven disc by entering the respective slots into each other and beyond such that each slot closely straddles and frictionally engages the body portion of the opposed disc, and a continuous cord loop having its opposed reaches each extending through one of the pair of holes in th driven disc.

7. An aerial top comprising a driven disc member and a separable disc member each having a mating, radial slot formed therethrough cooperable with each other to permit the slot in each disc to straddle that solid portion of the other disc diametrically opposed to the slot therein and frictionally secure the discs together on a common axis of rotation and at right angles to each other, a pair of parallel cord receiving holes formed through the driven disc on opposite sides of, and equispaced from the axis of rotation of the top, said holes being parallel to the radial slot in the driven disc such that the holes open out into the peripheral wall of said disc at points beyond the slot therein, and a cord loop having its opposed reaches each extending through one of the pair of holes in the driven disc.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 927,499 Davis July 13. 1909 1,002,969 Cruver Sept. 12, 1911 1,059,886 Loomis Apr. 22, 1913 1,533,634 Chellman Apr. 14, 1925 

